Although she meant good, she was in fact doing it the wrong way around. When Terri was in sharp moods or angry with Jack, Kim left her to be alone, but all this did was give her time to think about things, things she'd rather leave behind. That would be the best time for Kim to comfort her mom, but Terri didn't want to put on her daughter by telling her her worries and fears, and most painfully, her memories. Seen as Terri hadn't confided to Kim about this, and Kim hadn't explained her 'make mom better' plan to her, they were both stuck in a cycle travelling in the wrong direction.
Jack laughed as Kim skipped past him to the sink where she began to scrub the plate. After a quick chat he discovered that Kim was going out soon, so Terri and he would be alone. He knew he had to do it now, the timing was too perfect. He couldn't back out now, he told himself sternly, after he herd Kim yell goodbye and the door close behind her. It was just the two of them now, he had to tell her the truth it would be the only way to make things right, he told himself for reassurance.
Jack moved into the living room and perched himself on the arm of his chair as he watched Terri slowly enter the room in her dressing gown, still visibly tired. She didn't say a word as the two locked eyes, and she slowly sat down on the couch facing him, it was as if she already knew Jack had planned to say something to her, but he was surprised when she spoke first.
"You didn't come to bed last night." She spoke calmly, but Jack was annoyed by the comment, he took it as an accusation, or a dig in the very least..
"No, I thought I'd let you get some sleep, so you wouldn't have to worry about me being near you." He immediately regretted his words as he spoke them, he didn't know where his sudden bout of anger had come from, but he just couldn't help feeling rejected by the way she had been treating him recently. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that." He said quietly, his sudden burst of anger had slid back below the surface again.
Terri stared at him, unsure of how to take his words, or how to respond to him. She was curious of what he meant, and if he had realised how she was behaving around him. Part of her wanted him to have noticed the change so she could get the whole ordeal off her chest and tell him, but the other half of her didn't want him to piece it together as she would have to start making excuses up for him, she knew she couldn't tell him no matter how much she wanted to, not yet at least.
"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked suspiciously; hoping his answer would give her more information on how to take this.
"Nothing." He lied. "I went to sleep late, and I didn't want to bother you, so I just slept here."
Both knew it was a lie, but neither wanted to face the truth. Not that truth anyway, Jack had other things on his mind.
"I'm sorry." He apologised once again, hoping they could quickly look past this 'thing,' so he could move on to the next. "I didn't want to try start something then."
Terri watched him as he spoke, and was beginning to get worried. Why was he talking to the floor and not meeting her eyes? She had also noticing him fiddling with his fingers, another nervous trait of his - was something wrong, she wondered?
Jack looked up at her, and when their eyes met he stood up slowly and walked across to her, kneeling down in front of her on the pine laminate floor, so they were just about level. He took her hands in his, and looked her in the eyes, he knew he couldn't do it any other way, he had to be straight forward and forth coming, or it would only make the entire confession seem worse to her.
"Jack, what's wrong?" Terri spoke, her voice barely audible with strain from her concern.
Jack shook his head slowly, angry with himself for what he was about to put her through, his heart aching as he tried to form his words. When he spoke, his voice was barely a shaky whisper.
"We need to talk."